


Green Scales

by PhoenixRadar



Series: Magical Creatures • Wizardry & Witchcraft Edition [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter fandom - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Developing Friendships, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Teen Romance, animagi, headcanons
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-10
Packaged: 2018-12-19 20:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11905296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixRadar/pseuds/PhoenixRadar
Summary: With the war over, Hogwarts finally invites its students back after an entire year of reconstruction and refurbishing. Professor McGonagall's plans to encourage the intermingling of houses set off a chain reaction.Olive branches are extended, hatchets buried and unlikely friendships are formed. Some even blossom into something more.Although there is someone who thinks they deserve retribution.





	Green Scales

**Author's Note:**

> This is a work of fiction.  
> The Harry Potter Universe is owned by J.K. Rowling.  
> The story is set in an Alternate Universe, after the Battle of Hogwarts.  
> I own the original characters and the plot of this story - Green Scales. There are multiple references to the Rowling's universe to help with the story.

**Chapter 01: Back to the Future**

**Kings Cross Station, Kings Cross, London**

Returning to Hogwarts to repeat her sixth year after the trying time of the Wizarding War held a few promises for Luna Lovegood. The repeat was a necessary motion taken by Professor McGonagall, now Headmistress of Hogwarts, since the previous school year had been wasted lying in wait for the end of.. well, either the world or Voldemort.

Her fingers fiddled with her hoodie's zipper, while she waited for the train to arrive. As always she was the first one to arrive at the station. Having taken a seat on the bench with her luggage by her side, she pulled out the recent letter she had exchanged with Ginny. The youngest Weasley had kept in touch with her and so had the rest of the Potter gang. Harry had gotten to cleaning up Grimmauld Place, only to have been stunned and threatened by the sole surviving Black member. It had taken a few interventions and visits to the hospital to get the elder female to recognize Harry and let him live at the place her son, Sirius had left for his Godson. Ronald had joined hands with George to keep their shop running, while Hermione had gone back to her parents in Australia and taken a much-needed vacation with them and her extended family to connect. 

"See? It wasn't hard, was it?" A pleasant hum of murmurs and the occasional shouts and squeals accompanied the statement into her ears. She looked up to see the platform populated by a few families with starry-eyed and slightly terrified young witches and wizards with their luggage cart filled to the brim being either wheeled by them or by their parents. _First years,_ she thought to herself with a smile. She thanked Merlin that the war had not put too much fear into the parents whose kids were supposed to be starting their magical education. 

It had taken almost a year for the staff and the Ministry to put Hogwarts back together. Compensations were made of course, by capturing the Death Eaters and stripping them off their titles and possessions. Most of them were jailed in Azkaban which made Luna's smile fade slightly. She remembered how a few of them were students from Hogwarts who had been found guilty of aiding the Dark-- Voldemort. Calling him the 'Dark Lord' was inappropriate because he was no Lord of any kind.

The stone floor started to rumble signalling the arrival of the beautiful steam engine train. "Luna!" Averting her eyes from the beautiful polished object, she found a pair of brown eyes twinkling with excitement, as they got closer and larger. Warmth bloomed in her chest as she felt herself being enveloped in the familiar arms of the redhead. Smiling she pulled away to look at the face. 

"How're you?" Ginerva Weasley was the same as ever, if only for her physique. She had grown stronger and fitter. Well, she had better be since she was the seeker of Gryffindor. 

"I've been lovely! You look the same, don't you?" Ginny chuckled at her rhetorical question, not expecting for a response while looking over the short blonde.

Blinking and widening her large eyes, she smiled even wider. "I do, yes," she squeezed her dear friend's forearm. Noticing the Weasley family not too far behind their youngest, she stepped to the side and waved at Ron and Harry walking side by side. Harry hadn't changed a bit, except for the light stubble on his jaw, while Ron looked slightly different. His eyes were dull while his hair had grown longer, much like when he was in his fourth year. _Was something wrong?_ She remembered how Hermione hadn't spoken about her relationship with Ron in her letters. She hadn't pushed to know either. If the older witch wanted to talk about it, she would mention it.

The four were joined by Hermione. Warm greetings were exchanged, save for an awkward one between Hermione and Ron. Mrs. Weasley went on to coddle the bushy hair Gryffindor, earning a few chuckles and squeaks from the girl. 

Soon they were all shuffling onto the railway coach nearest to them, while the Weasleys waved at them. 

"What're you waiting for?"

Draco Malfoy turned to see his fellow Slytherin, Theodore Nott ready to get onto the coach, about two coaches up from the one he saw the Trio just board with the two sixth years. 

"Nothing," he muttered before stepping to the side to let Blaise follow Theodore into the coach. Having had no expectations every year he went back to school, save for the contentment of being drafted into the Quidditch team in his second year, he wasn't expecting anything this year either. 

* * *

 

**Hogwarts Express**

"Luna Lovegood, welcome," she pulled the door shut, as she smiled in response to Hermione's formal voice. But the door was held fast by a hand paler and larger than her own. Stepping back, she let go of the wood to see the unmistakable pale blond head emerge through the opening. It was Draco Malfoy, the seventh year Slytherin prefect.

_Merlin, that's a city of Wrackspurts!_

"Welcome, Draco Malfoy," Luna suspected an edge in her friend's voice, but she didn't comment on it. Stepping closer to the chairs set in a semi-circle in the large compartment, she took a seat and turned to see the other occupants still watching the Slytherin prefects and the other five filing in behind him.

The atmosphere seemed to have turned into a tense one, with the silence louder than the friction of metal of the train wheels. Hermione's eyebrows furrowed in confusion upon seeing Blaise Zabini's presence in the compartment.

"Blaise Zabini? I'm sorry but you are not allowed here unless you're a prefect."

"About that," Everyone turned to see Blaise Zabini step forward with a white crisp envelope with a small seal with a family crest's imprint. "Pansy wanted me to give this letter to the Headmistress, but I figured it'd be better to give it to you before any confusion aroused."

Still sceptical, she took the letter and opened it to give it a speed read, before breathing in deeply and looking up. "Okay then. I will hand this letter to the Headmistress and she'll see what can be done. But for now, since I don't have the authority to choose who will be replacing Ms. Parkinson, I cannot simply let you be here for the meeting. I hope you understand. Thank you." 

The darker male nodded, his face not betraying anything but for a shadow of a smile, before turning and letting himself out.

Hermione cleared her throat and stepped to the center to address the prefects, introducing herself as the Head Girl and gave them instructions regarding the first years.

The fifth years were given the task of guiding the first years to their dorms, while the sixth and seventh were assigned patrolling and paired for the same, one of each year in each pair. 

"Craig Foster and Padma Patil, Maxine Driscoll and Luna Lovegood.."

Luna found her partner's eyes and smiled, earning an awkward wave from the 19 year old.

"Ronald Weasley and Preston Harvey, Dean Thomas and Isla Widner..

"Draco Malfoy and Rayna Tzertzinis, Pansy Parkins-- Oh, Jordyn Scarlett, you will be informed of your partner after we get to school, so for now accompany your senior, Draco Malfoy." The dark-eyed brunette nodded once and stood beside her housemates.

"I hope it isn't much of a burden for you, Mr. Malfoy," Hermione fixed her stare on the blonde seated and towering the two sixth year girls on either side of him.

His grey eyes flit up to meet the Gryffindor's before he gave an imperceptible shake of his head.

"I know most of you know the drill, but I'll go through it once again. Patrol the corridors of the carriages. Keep an eye out for the younger years and their pets. Instruct all to change when the school nears. Any questions?"

A small hand rose to attract Hermione's attention. "Yes, Thomas Mallowburne?"

Luna watched the red-haired teenager blush at being called by his full name. He was an awkward, lanky fellow in Hufflepuff but a smart one, no less. She had read one of his Herbology essays on Fanged Geranium, which had left her wiser about that particular species than all of the four years put together.

"Whom do I inform about m-my missing badge?"

"How did you lose it?"

The boy looked further down at the floor at being questioned by the Head Girl. "I d-don't know. I must've lost i-it last year. I didn't n-notice it till I got back to p-packing.. I'm really sorry," Thomas was now scratching his head nervously, his eyes darting around the room, focusing on an object for only a second, before taking a peek at his senior.

Hermione sighed through her nose. She had tried to tell Professor McGonagall about her thoughts on being a Head Girl. She had not wanted that responsibility after all that had happened. She had wanted some peace and quiet and that was what she had penned down in her response letter to the now Headmistress of Hogwarts, only to crumple it up in frustration and throwing it into the bin beside her study desk. The letter had come as a small relief and joy, after rather emotionally exhausting few weeks. The familiar handwriting of her favourite teacher had simply brought back happy memories of school. But those memories weren't bereft of someone she had been trying hard to avoid mentally. Everywhere he was there. There wasn't a single memory of hers where he didn't exist. 

After an hour and half of thinking and enjoying the presence of the owl perched on the back of her study chair, she penned her response and quickly hooked it to the patient owl.

_I am honoured and extremely grateful for being chosen as Head Girl, Professor. I await your response._

If the responsibilities and the pressure of N.E.W.T.S. wouldn't distract her from the emotional turmoil she was in, then she did not know what would.

And she was here, in the train, looking back at her junior who was waiting for her response with bated breath. As if she were about to hex him into oblivion.

"It's alright. But you have to be careful about such things," Neville spoke, snapping the other's attention towards him. Luna offered a smile to Neville, who even after having fought in the war with courage she knew he had in him, still struggling to address a small group of people. She had noticed a swarm of Wrackspurts behind Hermione and found Neville Longbottom almost being camouflaged by the light wood of the cabin. The older wizard had said nothing and stood behind the Head Girl letting her do all the talking.

"Yes. These are important and not something to be taken lightly.. or taken advantage of." She didn't know why her eyes strayed to Malfoy, but it was automatic. Might've been because of the previous complaints registered against him and Pansy for relentlessly abusing their power and giving unnecessary punishment to the younger students, also taking away points like they were candies of some kind.

The boy in question did nothing to betray his emotions and simply stared straight ahead.

Since they were standing in a semicircle in front of the desk, Luna was standing right across from Draco and saw his steel grey gaze unwavering and hard somewhere above her head. She wished she were taller so she could meet his eyes. She looked up behind her, to see what had him focusing so hard on and found nothing but plain wood staring back at her.

"Alright then, see you in school." Hermione dismissed the meeting. 

Luna smiled at her and followed Dean Thomas who had been standing beside her to make her exit.

* * *

 

**The Great Hall, Hogwarts, Scotland**

Dinner was a lively affair, as it always was, each new academic year. With the Sorting ceremony ending and a warm welcome to the first years, Headmistress McGonagall took to the podium to welcome the students with a special message regarding the intermingling of the students in the hall. Although it wasn't a rule to sit at your house table, it had inadvertently become an unspoken one, which had only just fueled the prejudices about each house.

"For now, it is alright to be seated where you are. And I'm sure you all must be starving after the long train ride. Let the feast begin!"

The food was unending and delicious as usual, while the decibels rose with every passing minute.

Luna had been engulfed in a hug from Padma Patil, before pulled tighter against Ginny, who engulfed the two of them in her long arms. The three had proceeded to sit at the Gryffindor table with the trio. Giggles and chuckles were exchanged along with the hilarious stories of their holidays, as the main course slowly transitioned to a light dessert.

"How's your father, Luna? I heard you were in Russia looking for a new species. I read it in The Quibbler," Padma inquired, her fork sitting on her lower lip. 

Luna's eyes brightened at the mention of her father and his magazine. "Russia was a delightfully snowy place to be in. We didn't go to the major cities there, and chose to take a route longer and more adventurous to the place we were headed.."

Soon it was time to take the first years to their dorms. Hermione and Neville were joined later by one prefect from each house with the first years trailing behind them. Luna looked over at the Slytherin table as they seemed to be the last to arrive and frowned at the absence of Draco in front of the younger year students. 

"Where is Malfoy?" Neville inquired, leaning forward and checking the long table again.

Rayna looked at Neville, "I don't know, he wasn't there when I got up to round them up." There was a snarky tone to her voice but it was still contained. 

Hermione was frowning before she got back to leading them out into the corridor to relay the next set of instructions.

Luna was enjoying the last bite of her dessert when she felt her arm being pulled. She looked up to see Hermione looking down at her with a concerned face. "I'm sorry to ask you this, Luna, but can you please accompany Jordyn Scarlett to look for Draco?"

Luna's eyes strayed to a girl standing a few feet away from the table, clad in Slytherin robes, her reddish brown hair braided in a loose plait on her shoulder, eyes trained on everywhere in a mildly interested manner. She looked back at the bushy haired witch and smiled as she recognized Hermione's plight. She was going to meet up with the Headmistress right now with Neville before it was time for the patrolling.

"Okay," Luna licked the remnants of the soft cake off of her dessert fork and lay it on her plate while getting up. As she walked closer, Jordyn's eyes rested on her form, assessing her from head to toe.

"Hello, you have a beautiful yellow aura," she spoke lightly, mindful of not touching the girl, remembering that she might not like it.

The green-eyed girl looked at her for another two seconds and spoke softly, "Hello."

Luna's eyes brightened at the deep voice she had just heard. "Let's go. We have only about fifteen minutes till we go on patrol," she turned and skipped out the large doors framing the entrance to the hall.

**Author's Note:**

> "Life goes on..  
> Whether you choose to move on and  
> Take a chance in the unknown.  
> Or stay behind, locked in the past,  
> Thinking of what could've been."


End file.
